Pressure fountain cleaning sponge



March 21, 195o M F`, QRNDQRFFv 2,501,289

PRESSURE FOUNTAIN CLEANING SPONGE Filed May 24, 1949 Patented Mar. 21,1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSURE FOUNTAIN CLEANING SPONGEMarvin Flournoy Orndorff, Alexandria, Va.

Application May 24, 1949, Serial No. 95,120

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-130) 'This invention relates to a cleaning implement,and more particularly to a pressure supply cleaning sponge, and itconsists of the construction, arrangements and combinations hereindescribed and claimed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cleaning sponge wherein ahandle element for supplying the cleaning fluid to the sponge element iselectively secured to the sponge member without the necessity ofemploying undesirable metallic parts which might come into contact witha surface being cleaned.

It is a still further and important object of the invention to provide ahandle, one end of which is closed, the handle being flattened, defininga discharge nozzle for accommodation within a flexible socket meansiixed to a cleaning element, such as a sponge, one flat face of thenozzle having an opening for discharge of a cleaning fluid into thesponge.

A still further important object of the invention is the provision of acleaning sponge having means for securing of the handle which willdischarge water or other cleaning fluid into the sponge and in which asecond sponge member may be adhesively secured above and to the firstsponge member, the sponge members being of dilerent density so thatvarious types of clean# ing may be accomplished with a single cleaningimplement, said handle element being reversible so as to discharge acleaning fluid into either one of the sponge members.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will beapparent from the following description, considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the cleaning implement;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the main body member of a handle attachingmeans, before assembly;

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the elements which is cooperable withthe main body element in forming a socket for reception of a i'luiddischarge handle;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view from the line ll-ll of Figure1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a dual sponge cleaning element;

Fig. 5a is a. fragmentary sectional View' therethrough, illustrating therelation of the discharge nozzle opening and discharge openings of thesponge members;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View of a modified form of the handle;l andFigure 'l is a modied form of the discharge end of the handle member,and nozzle.

There is illustrated in Figures 1 and 5 a cleaning element generallydesignated by the reference character I0,. which as here shown, embodiesa cellulous sponge member II which may be of any desired shape, and hereshown as substantially square, the corners of which are preierablyrounded, as at I2. Medially of the sponge member I I a fluid dischargeopening I3 is formed vertically through the sponge, into which thecleaning fluid will discharge, as will be described.

A flexible socket generally indicated at I4 is adapted to be secured toone face of the sponge cleaning element, which consists of a main bodymember I5 of dimensions somewhat smaller than .the sponge member I I,and preferably the member I5 has rounded corners I6. As clearly shown inFigure 2, the body member I5 has an-elongated opening I'I extending froman edge I8 inl wardly and beyond the medial center of the body memberI5. The body member I5 is preferably formed of rubber so that a securebond may be .effected with the sponge member II, as will be described.Upon opposite faces of the body member I5 a leather strip I9 is securedby means of rivets 2| which may be presented through suitable openings22 of the body member I5 and openings 23 of the strips I9. The strips I9are additionally secured to the body member I5 by a line of stitching 24which extends longitudinally along the strips and across the rear endthereof. The strips I9 will be centrally located above the elongatedopening I'I, and each is formed with an opening 25 for discharge of acleaning uid. With the body member I5 secured to the strips I9 in themanner described, the strips I9 would be spaced apart forming an opening26 into which a suitably shaped handle and discharge nozzle may beinserted, as will be described. The assembly thus formed is secured to aface of the sponge member by applying a suitable adhesive, such as arubber cement, to a face of the body member I5 as well as the adjacentstrip I9 presenting such faces to the sponge member I I suitablyaligning opening 25 with the opening I3 of the sponge member. The stripmembers I9 project outwardly beyond the sponge a short distanceproviding a sufcient exbility to admit a discharge nozzle of a hollowhandle 21, within the socket I4 as will be now described.

The handle 21 may be of any suitable length, one end of which isinteriorly threaded for reception of a threaded portion of a controlvalve 28, the latter having a Water inlet opening interiorly threadedand into which a common hose connection 29 may be secured. The other endof the handle 27 is reduced into a flat formation to define a dischargenozzle 2l of a size to be snugly received within the opening 2S. Theouter end of the flattened portion of the handle is closed by a metallicsolder or other suitable substance indicated at 30. One Wall of theilattened portion of the; handle is` provided with an opening 3l fordischarging Water or other cleaning iiuid into the opening i3 so as tothoroughly saturate the sponge I l In use, with the handle securedWithin the socket, Water or other cleaning uid may be controlled byadjusting the valve 28 tothe proper ilow, Water or other cleaning fluidvpassing through the opening 3l into the sponge element` Il. The spongeelement may be applied to the surface to be cleaned, and it will beapparent that. due' tov the flexibility of the sponge and the main bodyi5 a iiexibility is obtained between the-handle and the sponge sothatthe latter may be effectively applied to a surface to be cleaned, andwithout-liability. of having any metallic parts contact.v such` surface.

Figure 5 illustrates a dual cleaning element, the parts previouslydescribed being the same, but in addition a sponge member Il isadhesively secured above and to the body member l5, the strip member I9,asl Well asto. the exposed suriace oi the sponge ll. The sponge ll' hasa discharge opening I3 corresponding to the opening riii of the spongeIl. When itis desired to 4use the sponge Il' in a cleaning operation, itis onfly necessary to withdraw the handle. from the socket and reversethe position of the opening 3i of the handle sothat it Would4 bepresented to the open-v ing 25 of the next ajacent strip i9 fordischarge into the sponge H', as shown in Fig. 5a.

The sponge element H. is here shown as formedI of a denserv spongestructure than the sponge i I., the d-iierences. in the sponge elementsproviding a variedv cleaning surface for different characters oisurfaces to be cleaned.

- 1n Figure 6, the handle, 2l is shown slightly odset upon its upperside to the nozzle portion, Whichfshape may be desirable` in certainsituations.

Irr Figure '1, a modiiied form of discharge open- Cil v Number ing inthe nozzle portion of the handle is disclosed, and in this instance aseries of small apertures 3i' are formed extending in longitudinal rowsso that water will be discharged into the body of the sponge as well asinto the openings i3 or I3' of the Sponges.

The device has been effectively employed in the cleaning of automobiles,although the invention is not necessarily limited to such use, and WhileI have shown and described'. a preferred form of the invention, this isby way of illustration only and I consider as my own all suchmodifications in-construction as fairly falls within the scope of theappendedclaims.

What I claim:

l. A pressure supply cleaning implement comprising a cellulous flatsponge member formed with a medially disposed vertical opening, aflexible socket member adhesively secured to one at face of the spongemember, said socket comprisingz a flat main body member having` anelongated opening, formed therein opening upon one edge of the main bodymember, a lexible strip member secured uponl opposite sides of the. mainbody member and centrally positioned, over said elongated openinganddeiining a passage, each oi' said flexible strip members. having anopening aligned with the vertical. opening in the sponge, an elongatedilat. nozzle removably se- `cured within said passage, said'` nozzlehaving a. closed end and a dischargeopening aligned with, an opening ofone of theilexible` strips and the opening in the sponge, anda liquidsupply handle operatively connected to. said, nozzle.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said ilexiblestrips project beyondthe edge, of the spongev being spaced apart and unattached at the edgesof the strips to facilitate entrance of said nozzle.

MARVIN FLOIJRNOY ORNDORFT?.

REFERENCES CTED The following` references' are of record in the file oi'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 954,543 Raymond et al Apr. 12, 19101,570,824 Clark Jan. 26, 1926 1,685,731 Tra-vena Sept. 25, 1928.2,030,911 Borden Feb. 18, 1936

